Climate change advice
From the apparent moron Peter Coates who runs Xstrata Coal, a major player in the coal industry in Australia, courtesy of ABC News:
“Renewables are important. But they will always operate around the fringes or with the current technology they’ll operate around the fringes of baseload power, whether that be coal or nuclear, and climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution.
I stress whatever we do just in Australia will have absolutely no impact on world climate.
The article paraphrases this as “Mr Coates says coal is the only long-term viable solution to the world’s energy needs and any attempt to tackle climate change must include large developing nations.”
“Long-term” and “coal” don’t generally go together in the same sentence. Coal is a limited resource. Depending on who you talk to, we might exhaust it in 25 years, 75 years or 175 years, but it’s going to run out, sooner rather than later. At the very least, it’s going to become increasingly expensive to mine the reserves that still exist. I agree that nuclear power might be important, as it doesn’t depend on the time of day or weather conditions. But to make this sort of statement is just utter rubbish.
And yes, climate change does require a global solution - but that’s no excuse to just ignore our own obligations. Australia has one of the highest green house gas emissions “per person” in the world. Our population is small, compared to America or China, but to say that we have or will have no impact on world climate seems awfully bold - and I’d like to see this backed up with some facts.
Long and short of it: I don’t think we can really trust the head of a major coal company for a balanced, unbiased viewpoint!
David Barry Says:
I think that emissions per capita are the wrong thing to measure this with. It is more useful to measure emissions per unit output. That is, some amount of stuff has to be made in the world. It is (I’m guessing) much cleaner to make that stuff here in Australia than in India or China. The emission per capita may be lower in the latter case, but the total emission will be higher.
And if coal will last another 150 years, that’s pretty long-term. 1850 was a very long time ago.
Les Says:
Kyoto was nothing but a first step, a good first step. It acknowleged the fact that china and india are developing nations much like developed nations many many many years ago. It was a way at saying we realise you didn’t do this, so we are not going to ask much of you because you are also developing. There is no doubt in my mind they were going to be brought in on “kyoto 2″. But thats my opinion.
I think compared to the USA and the EU of course our emissions mean not very much. But like it has been said, its leading by example. To show the developing world that there are other ways forward. Acknowleding that they don’t have the technology for what we have, but that its important for them to try.
And with respect to the wind comment. You set up a grid that can pull power from multiple sources to create a base load. So you don’t care if its not windy at point A because B C and D are windy.
Its hard enough getting the population of the country to step up to climate change and accept that something needs to be done, when guys like this go unchallenged.
Oh and i want to have Sir Nicholas Stern’s baby. I don’t even think gore has convinced as many important people as this guys report.
I agee that what Australia does in terms of green house emissions will have practically no effect in global terms despite the “per person” figures. Face facts, we are a really small nation. Any effective solutions MUST include the big developing nations (India nd China in particular) which is where the Kyoto Agreement falls down. These nations are required to do nothing under the agreement. Having said that, Australia must lead by example, and show the developing world that it CAN be done. WE have the brains, the people, the money, and the resources. So why are we still sitting on our hands waiting yet again, for someone else to come up with the solution.